Automotive enthusiast Chris Figdore has an older brother named Steve. From 1969 to 1970, Steve served in the Marines in the Vietnam War. When Steve returned home from the service in the fall of 1972, he ordered a brand new 1973 Plymouth 'Cuda.

This week's Classic Industries barn find video is of a rare 1970 Plymouth Road Runner Superbird that is not specifically a barn find. The Superbird's home from 1994 up until March of 2020 was actually a chicken house - a fitting nest for a Road Runner Superbird. 

We've always known our classic cars are special and valuable, but it's interesting to see just how valuable some of them have become in recent years. Auctions of especially rare or noteworthy vehicles have run far into the six-figure range, and some have even broken the million-dollar mark. This 1971 Plymouth 'Cuda convertible, equipped with a 440 Six-Pack engine and 4-speed transmission, recently sold for a whopping $800,000 at a Hemmings collector car auction. On top of its beautiful condition, this car has a pretty cool story behind it.

Among the rich and famous, there are many who have nice cars, but far fewer who seem to be true automotive enthusiasts. From what we've seen, renowned podcast host and comedian Joe Rogan falls into the latter category. In a previous article, we wrote about his gorgeous black 1969 Camaro built by Roadster Shop. That car features an 860-horsepower LSA V8 and a manual transmission. Rogan was clearly pleased with how it turned out, since he also handed over the keys to his custom 1970 Plymouth Cuda. The stunning results of this build were documented in a recent video by Autotopia LA.

This article's topic may be a sore subject for some readers. There are likely to be several gotchas in this list, where a gearhead or two (or several thousand for that matter) might have rushed headlong into purchasing and starting a classic car renewal project that goes awry and is hopelessly stalled. It's not something to beat yourself up about. It's called being human and making mistakes. Don't let the fear of making a boo boo or two get in your way of reading this article for some helpful hints on getting your old car project going or restarted. If you keep these muscle car restoration mistakes in mind, you won't fall victim to them in the future.

Our lead photo of a restored Lemon Twist yellow 1970 Plymouth 'Cuda is courtesy of Mecum Auctions.

The Most Common Muscle Car Restoration Mistakes

As time marches on, American pony and muscle cars are becoming more scarce and valuable. The expensive part is great, so long as you already have one (or many). If, however you're on the hunt for one, that's quite another matter. The price that you're likely to pay for anything that's restorable is likely to be quite dear. You might even be tempted to tap into your kids' college funds, justifying the purchase by thinking that you can share the old car hobby with them. Thankfully, there are still some less sought-after muscle machines out there that are just waiting for some smart folks to snatch 'em up. Consider if you will these three fine A-Body Mopar models from Plymouth and Dodge: the 1970-76 Plymouth Duster, the 1971-72 Dodge Demon, and the 1973-76 Dodge Dart Sport. 

I have owned this 1971 'Cuda for nearly ten years now. After previously owning my first 'Cuda years ago, I knew I wanted to fully restore one, and I waited a long time to find this car. I felt very fortunate that I was finally able to buy the sheet metal to make it happen. It actually took over 8 years to accumulate all of the restoration parts I wanted for this project, and just over a year to get it into the shape you see here.

Although a vehicle's name is only a small part of its appeal, there are a handful of classic cars that seem to be perfectly named to match their design and intent. The Plymouth Barracuda is a great example, and it's not just because we have a soft spot for vehicles with animal-inspired names, like the Mustang, Impala, or Road Runner. The sleek, agile, and intimidating nature of this predatory fish served as a perfect moniker for one of our favorite Mopar cars. Read on as we take a look back at A-Body and E-Body Plymouth Barracuda history.

You may have heard the term Mopar in reference to classic Dodge and Plymouth cars, but do you know what it really means? What is a Mopar car, and where did this term originate? Back in 1937, the marketing team at Chrysler Motor Parts Corporation was trying to come up with new branding for the replacement parts and accessories it offered for Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth, and DeSoto vehicles. The words Motor and Parts were combined into Mopar. This catchy term was first used to market a new line of antifreeze, but would later be applied to all of the Chrysler group's official maintenance, repair, and performance parts.